Cable High Pull
Set to face level, this pull blends a face pull and an upright row, loading the rear delts, upper and mid traps together under constant cable tension. It is a controlled, joint-friendly way to build the whole back of the shoulder without the explosiveness of a barbell high pull. Great as a shoulder-health accessory or a burn-out finisher.
- Type
- Strength
- Browse by muscle
- Deltoid Posterior, Trapezius Upper
- Browse by movement
- Horizontal Pull, Shoulder Raise
- Target
- Deltoid Posterior, Trapezius Upper
- Secondary
- Deltoid Middle, Trapezius Middle
- Tertiary
- Infraspinatus, Biceps Brachii Short Head
How to do it
- 1
Attach a rope to a pulley set at about face height and grip an end in each hand.
- 2
Step back to load the cable and stand tall with a braced core.
- 3
Pull the rope toward your face while driving the elbows up and out to the sides.
- 4
Finish with the hands beside the head and the elbows high and flared.
- 5
Squeeze the rear delts and traps at the end range.
- 6
Return slowly under control to a full stretch and repeat.
Tips
- Keep the elbows higher than the wrists throughout the pull.
- Aim the hands past the ears, spreading the rope apart at the finish.
- Use a weight light enough to keep the movement smooth, not jerky.
Variations
Common mistakes
- The pulley sits at waist height, so the rope climbs on the way in and the movement becomes an upright row instead of the face-level pull it is meant to be.
- Gripping the rope in the middle leaves nothing left to spread, so the hands stop at the nose instead of traveling past the ears.
- The torso leans back and the stack gets rowed toward the chest, which is the clearest sign the weight was set for a row rather than for the rear delts.
- The stack is allowed to snap the arms forward on the return, and the half of the rep the rear delts control most gets skipped.
- Once the last few reps get hard the ribs flare and the hips push forward, so the finish is held by the low back rather than the shoulder blades.
Frequently asked
- How many sets and reps of the cable high pull should you do when you are new to the exercise?
- Three sets of 12 to 15 with a light stack suits this one, since the rear delts and traps answer better to reps than to load. Pause for a beat with the hands beside the head on each rep. Progress by adding reps toward 20, or by slowing the return to three seconds, before you move the pin, because a heavier stack is exactly what drags the elbows down.
- What can I do instead of the cable high pull with no cable machine?
- Anchor a band in a door at head height and pull it apart toward your face with the elbows climbing; it copies the movement closely and you can set the tension anywhere by stepping back. A chest-supported rear delt row on an incline bench, taken with the elbows high and wide rather than tucked, is the dumbbell version.
- What is the cable high pull good for?
- It loads the rear delts and the upper and mid traps together under steady tension, which makes it a sensible accessory for anyone who presses a lot or sits at a desk all day, and an easy finisher at the end of a shoulder or back session. It is a poor main mass builder, since the loads that keep the elbows high stay modest. If the shoulder pinches at the flared-elbow finish, drop the elbows an inch or two and shorten the range rather than pushing through it.
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